[CQ-Contest] Kenwood TS-590S Contesting performance question

[Steve London]

I have had a pair of TS-590's since July, and have used them very successfully 
in the IARU, NAQP CW, and NA Sprint. I'll mostly concur with Filipe, but with a 
few comments:

- Turning off the PREamp on the 590 is the same as the AIP in the older Kenwood 
radios - they both simply bypass the first RF amplifier. If turning off the 
preamp isn't good enough, you can also switch in the attenuator.

- The 590 uses upconversion on 6, 10 and the WARC bands. The upconversion IF has 
a 2.7 kHz roofing filter, with no option for a narrower roofing filter. This is 
a real serious problem for 10 meter CW contesting. You can have the DSP set for 
400 Hz, but if you have a strong signal within the 2.7 kHz roofing filter (but 
outside of 400 Hz), the AGC response will result in desense modulated by the 
strong, out-of-DSP signal. I have solved this problem on one of my 590's but 
purchasing a TS-480 500 Hz roofing filter (same 10.695 MHz IF as the 590). It 
does NOT fit in the same slot as the stock 2.7 kHz filter. The surgery to 
install it was not for the faint-of-heart, but I now have a superior receiver on 
6, 10 and the WARC bands, too. I think Kenwood made a huge mistake to not allow 
an optional roofing filter for those bands. Don't get my negativity wrong - the 
stock 590 is a superb receiver on 160, 80, 40, 20 and 15 meters.

For the technically inclined, I strongly recommend a look at the TS-590 
"in-depth" glossy manual, available online at 
http://www.kenwood.com/i/products/info/amateur/pdf/TS-590S_IDM.pdf .

- Band outputs would have been nice, but it's simple enough to let the logging 
software drive band outputs to external devices.

73,
Steve, N2IC

On 09/27/2011 02:40 AM, ct1ilt at sapo.pt wrote:
>
> I am using a TS590 since last CQ WW CW  (2010) and I can tell you that it is
> a beautiful radio. I used to have 2 x TS870 for SO2R and now I wish I had
> another TS590!
>
> The only 3 things I think Kenwood is still missing on their Radios are:
>
> * Second receiver (or at least DUAL-WATCH!) * Band Data outputs (for changing
> filters or six-pack) * AIP (Advanced Intercept Point) which the TS870 has and
> is UFB specially for low bands
>
> The DSP on the TS590 is fantastic, just like the one on the TS870 was.
>
> Comparing a K3 filtered with the TS590 in terms of price, no doubt the TS590
> will kick K3's ass!!
>
> 73's Filipe Lopes CT1ILT aka CR6K http://www.rep.pt/ct1ilt
>